Part 49 (2/2)
”Will I askk the otherrsss,” the old orca decided at last. His great head smashed into the water as he turned and vanished. Latehoht went with him.
Mataroreva clarified the discussion for Hwos.h.i.+en, who had waited ^patiently nearby. Long minutes pa.s.sed and still no sign of returning orcas. Cora wan-
210 CACHALOT.
dered to stand next to Mataroreva and watch the sea.
”What do you think they'll do, Sam?”
He didn't try to conceal his worry. ”I don't know.
As far as they're concerned, I've just made a danger- ous request. It remains to be seen whether or not that will outweigh the threat posed by whatever is driving their larger relatives to madness.”
”But they've already saved our lives once.”
He smiled faintly. ”Killing bad humans is a very different proposition from attacking or even threat- ening another whale.”
”But we're not asking them to attack.”
”I'm hoping they'll see that. If they don't, we may as well forget it and try something else. Not even Latehoht or Wenkoseemansa can change their minds once they've reached a decision.”
Kinehahtoh returned. ”The orrcas hawe agrreed.
Help you to finnd and encirrcle one of the baleeen wwe will. But iff it mowes to escape,” he warned, ”orr calls otherrs to its aid, wwe will not trry to hold it. This abowe all must bee underrstood. Must not the Covenant bee thrreatened, or all will sufferrrr.”
”Suppose,” Merced asked disconcertingly, ”the baleen we confront chooses not only to ignore our questions but to attack us?”
Kinehahtoh's instant reply left no room for mis- understandings. ”Help and enjoy wwe worrking with hummans in many things. b.u.t.t wwe will not fight with cousins. Theirr actions arre theirr owwn. Wwe cannot interrferre. If one of the Grreat Whales turms on you, you mustt cope with it as besst you arre abllle to.”
”And you won't try to protect us?” Merced sounded more like a quaestor working a truthfinder during a trial than a biologist querying a killer whale.
”Must the Covenant bee kept,” Kinehahtoh re- peated firmly. ”Follow noww, and wwe will huntttt.”
He turned away before Merced or anyone else could
211.
pose another question, to rejoin the waiting group of high dorsal fins stirring the water.
When informed of the orcas' limitations and the concurrent risk, Hwos.h.i.+en did not hesitate. ”Of course we have to go along. It is our best chance to find out what is driving the baleens to these deeds.”
”And if a sixty-ton fin whale rushes our s.h.i.+p at forty kilometers per?” Mataroreva asked.
”You say the pack will not intercede for us. Then we'll have to take our chances. Dammit, people, it's time to take chances!” This was the first time Cora had heard Yu Hwos.h.i.+en raise his voice.
”Could we outrun an attacking whale?” Rachael wondered, nervously running fingers over the strings and switches of her neurophon. The projectors were silent. Only aural music floated across the deck.
”Depends on its nearness at the moment of attack and on the type of whale,” Mataroreva informed her.
”A humpback, certainly. Probably a blue. A fin- that I can't say for certain. Over a short distance it would be a near thing. I agree with Hwos.h.i.+en, though.
It's a risk we have to take.”
<script>